The role of confusion in the semantic integration paradigm

Bransford and Franks (1971) introduced a paradigm for the study of semantic integration. However, even assuming no integration, their results are predictable by the extraordinarily high level of materials similarity inherent to the paradigm. That similarity severely reduces the ability to remember individual sentences, and produces a monotonic relation between sentence complexity and the proportion of old responses. (The latter prediction follows from subjects' inability to accurately discern the list structure.) When similarity is reduced and/or list structure is clarified, ability to remember specific sentences increases and the effects of complexity are diminished. This paradigm is probably irrelevant to the study of semantic integration.